by Theresa Golub, for the Community News Service
As Donald Trump prepares to take office as president of the U.S., the Central Vermont Refugee Action Network (CVRAN) is preparing to respond to whatever happens next.
“It is important to let people know that we are looking out for each other,” said Rachel Cogbill, who leads the organization. “We have to do things in a united way and keep each other informed.”
During his previous presidency, the Trump administration ushered in some of the most restrictive immigration policies in decades, including strict border controls, the Muslim ban, and family separation policy. According to the American Civil Liberties Union, Human Rights Watch, and the National Immigrant Justice Center, one result of these policies is that detention centers grew in number and size and were privatized. Funding was slashed for groups helping migrants, and the number of people working for these organizations decreased significantly.
Based on Trump’s previous record, Cogbill said she believes significantly fewer immigrants will be allowed into the country. She said the justice and asylum process will be disrupted, and more undocumented and temporary immigrants will be deported.
Increased deportations will affect more than just the families themselves, she said. In Vermont, there will be fewer workers on dairy farms as well as industries such as construction, restaurant, and hotel work.
Despite the shift in the political climate, Cogbill said CVRAN is prepared to continue serving and protecting the refugee population. Their efforts include keeping track of updates and information through trusted sources such as the Vermont Asylum Assistance Program and sharing that information with clients.
The nonprofit organization is also collaborating with lawyers to understand the legal intricacies of each person they are working with to ensure they are in a secure position. In addition, CVRAN is communicating with and helping other immigration organizations to train people how to respond to a stop and other issues they may face.
By hosting community and individual meetings, the CVRAN listens to fears and concerns held by those they serve, Cogbill said.
The Central Vermont Refugee Action Network was founded in 2015, before the first Trump presidency, due to concerns with how people were being separated and mistreated at the border, says Kathie O’Connor, vice president of the organization.
The network now has more than 1,000 donors, as well as 190 volunteers working to provide support for refugees, immigrants, and asylum seekers across central Vermont. The organization has helped more than 20 people this year who have fled from persecution and adversity in countries including Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, Tunisia, Cameroon, Russia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Colombia, Mexico, Bhutan, Nepal, and Uganda.
The network uses a gradual approach integrating these refugees into the community. It provides “wrap-around” services that include housing, driving lessons, English language lessons, education, and career support. As its clients achieve financial and social stability, often based on those services, CVRAN can ramp down its offerings. This allows resources to go to others, and for its clients to achieve self-sufficiency, said Cogbill.
Ghazi Jendoubi, who hails from Tunis, has been a CVRAN client and is now a CVRAN graduate. He says being in Vermont and connecting with the community has inspired him to give back. Jendoubi now works with the CVRAN board of directors, helping other refugees and asylum seekers get the same support he did.
“I know first hand what the refugees and asylum seekers truly need. They need to feel connected and woven into the fabric of the community and truly be a part of it, “ Jendoubi said. He is not the only person to find community through CVRAN. For two years, among its many clients, CVRAN has been working with an Afghan family of nine.
As a result of CVRAN’s services, the family has been able to integrate into the community. They are living in a home, paying rent. Their children play soccer and baseball and are teaching their parents English, said Cogbill and O’Connor.
Despite the uncertainties, Cogbill and O’Connor say the refugees and asylum seekers have already faced so many difficulties, and yet their experiences demonstrate both determination and success.
“We learn so much from them,” says O’Connor. “They find joy in the face of difficulties.”
“This is a welcoming community and people find ways of helping,” Cogbill said. “We can’t change the world, but we can do our part.”
Via Community News Service, a University of Vermont journalism internship, on assignment for The Bridge.